A Long Time Coming
by Attracted2Pie
Summary: Set immediately following "Partings". Lorelai wakes up disgusted, depressed, and a a bit confused in Chris's bed the morning after delivering an ultimatum to Luke. As our two lovebirds come to terms with the past, will they finally get the happily ever after they've been dreaming of?
1. Chapter 1 - The Morning After

_**This is my first foray into Fanfic, but it's something I've been working on for awhile. These two are near and dear to my heart and I wanted desperately to get them out of the mess they put themselves in. More to come in the next few days. Please let me know what you think!**_  
_

Lorelai lay in bed motionless, with Chris's arm around her, afraid to even breathe too deeply for fear of waking him back up. The events of the previous night - her ultimatum to Luke, coming here to Christopher, the tequila - all swirled around in the fogginess of her hungover brain. She couldn't even remember the sex, but judging by Chris spooning her, the condom wrapper on the bedside table, and her current state of undress, she had to figure that two and two probably made four.

She contemplated the idea of slipping quickly from his grasp and sneaking out, but she had no idea where her clothes were and she was missing the recall of some, clearly very important, events from last night. She decided the best course of action was to wake Chris and hope that his memory was much more clear than hers.

She patted Chris on the arm frantically, trying to hold back tears.

"Chris? Wake up!"

Her voice sounded high-pitched, unsure, and untrustworthy - as if she had spent hours crying. She couldn't believe that Gigi had seen her naked in her father's bed! How confusing for the poor kid!

"At least she thought I was sick," she thought, "which is clearly not a big stretch at this point."

She felt Chris stir and rub her shoulder.

"Lor? Are you okay?"

Lorelai was released from her thoughts enough to realize she was crying again. Chris got out of the bed and she tried to control the tears that were now streaming down her face. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to regain her composure. When she felt confident enough that she wouldn't lose it, she opened her eyes to find Chris sitting on the bed near her feet, eyeing her warily - clearly concerned. She stared at him for a moment until he finally spoke:

"So did you cry in your sleep all night, or only when I happened to wake up?" he asked her.

She shook her head, a little afraid to trust her voice again. After another deep breath she finally said,

"I wish I could tell you. But after that fifth? Or was it sixth? drink, I don't remember anything."

She gestured to the condom wrapper on the night table and added almost desperately, "please tell me you can fill in the blanks?"

Chris nodded slowly and sighed.

"I was afraid of that. I've never seen you drink like that before, Lor. And I've seen you do a lot of drinking! And then...when we...well, you scared me."

Lorelai sat up slowly, feeling her head pounding, and pulled the covers tightly against her naked chest.

"What the hell happened, Chris?"

"I don't know, Lor. We were drinking - well, mostly you were - I kept trying to get you to slow down, or have some water or coffee, but you threatened me with bodily harm, so I kept pouring more and figured I would just make sure you stayed here and got some sleep and you'd be fine. But you were crying - I've never seen you so hysterical - and you kept saying that you needed to feel wanted and loved, and then you took your dress off…"

"Oh my god!" Lorelai interjected, pressing her head into her hands "Please tell me you're joking!"

"Sorry. Definitely not joking. I tried to talk to you. I could never really understand what happened to make you so hysterical. I asked if you were sure and you just kept asking me to love you."

"In retrospect, I realize you thought you were talking to someone else, or hoped you were at least. But I didn't get that until after…"

"Wait….what do you mean?" Lorelai asked.  
"Well," Chris began, "we...you know, started to...and you were totally fine and you were enjoying yourself and into it. But then…" he trailed off, almost afraid to tell her.

"Then WHAT?" Lorelai asked, getting impatient and feeling a bit nervous.

"Well, then right in the middle of...you know….well, you called me Luke and then broke down in tears."  
"Oh my god…." said Lorelai, mostly under her breath.

"So...I stopped, you know? Because clearly you didn't want that with me. And then I tried to calm you down, but you just kind of curled up into a ball on the bed and passed out right there. I figured you just needed to feel safe for the night, so I held you while you slept. I'm….I'm sorry Lor. I never would have….well I never would have allowed anything to happen if I had known it wasn't me you were after. I guess I just kind of hoped….? Well, anyway, I'm not a creep. There was no way I was going to finish what we started after that. You were clearly too drunk to know what was happening and what you were saying and I never should have done anything. I take full responsibility. I should have known you weren't coherent enough to make a decision like that. If you need me to talk to Luke…"

Chris looked at Lorelai who was completely crestfallen. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She took a deep breath and tried again, speaking very softly.

"I can't...believe...I did this to Luke. He'll never forgive me for this! I don't care how distant he's been, he doesn't deserve to be treated like this. Why in the hell did I give him that ultimatum? Luke has never been one to jump like that! I should have just talked to him and told him how horrible I've been feeling. How did I let this happen? How did I let things get so out of hand? Why do I always do this?"

Lorelai buried her head in her hands and sobbed, her entire body shaking.

Chris put a hand on Lorelai's shoulder and sighed deeply. He got up from the bed and left the room, returning after a few moments with a neat pile of Lorelai's clothes, topped with her purse. He set them on the bed and said quietly, "Why don't you get dressed and I'll make you some coffee." Lorelai nodded slowly and managed a small, "thanks, Chris" through stifled sobs.

Chris left quietly, leaving Lorelai alone. She had just begun trying to stand when her phone rang inside her purse. She searched frantically through the small bag trying to shut it off. The loud ring was causing severe pain to rip through her already pounding head.

She finally found the phone and was about to shut it off when she realized it was Rory calling. She had no clue what time it was, but knew that Logan had a really early flight to England, so Rory was probably calling needing some support and a shoulder to cry on.

Lorelai wiped her eyes and cleared her throat before answering the call.

"Hey kid," she said, trying to sound chipper and not like she had spent the last 12 hours in hysterical tears. "Did you see Logan off?"

"Hey Mom." Rory sounded pretty bummed. "We said goodbye here at the apartment. He said I couldn't come with him to the airport because if I was there, he wouldn't get on the plane."

"Awww," said Lorelai. "I'm sorry, kid. I know you miss him." She heard Rory sniff and then say tearfully, "I know this is going to be good for him. I just hate that he has to be so far away."

"I know hon," Lorelai responded.

"Wait" said Rory, as if she had just realized something wasn't right, "Where are you? Why aren't you at home? I called there first and Babette answered the phone and said that she'd been there all night with Paul Anka because she heard him doing that strange howling thing he does when you're not there, and she didn't know where you were."

Lorelai cringed. Just then, Chris came in carrying a large mug of coffee and two aspirin. Lorelai mouthed "thank you" to him and then pointed to the phone and whispered "Rory" upon seeing the questioning look on his face. Chris nodded and backed out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Lorelai cleared her throat just as Rory said, "Mom? Is everything alright?"

"Uhh, yeah. Sorry. I got distracted. I uhhh, didn't make it home last night," Lorelai shook her head. "I just...crashed somewhere else" she said quickly. "Look hon, I'll fill you in later, okay? Why don't you meet me at home this afternoon and we'll hang out and I'll try to distract you until Logan lands at Heathrow, sound good?"

"Yeah, okay Mom. Thanks" said Rory. "Are you sure you're okay, though?" she added.

Lorelai shook her head no, but said into the phone, "everything's fine. I'll see you at home in a couple hours."

"Okay. Love you Mom!"

"Love you too, kid."

Lorelai downed the two aspirin that Chris had brought her with a giant gulp of coffee and tried to calm herself. She stood slowly and carefully then got dressed as fast as she could manage without jiggling her pounding head too much. She slipped her heels on, took one step, and promptly removed them.

"I think I'll be carrying these" she mumbled to herself. "Heels and Hangovers would make an interesting girl band, but they don't belong together in my life."

She returned her phone to her purse, put the strap over her shoulder, and turned to look at the room, shaking her head in utter disbelief as she closed the door behind her.

Lorelai found Christopher sitting at the breakfast bar in his kitchen staring into a cup of coffee.

"Hey, Chris. I...I don't know what to say. Thank you and I'm sorry don't quite cut it, but...thank you. And I'm so sorry."

Chris didn't even look up from his coffee.

"Lor...Go find Luke and see what you can do to fix this. You belong with him. I'm sorry it took me so long to see it."

"I don't know if it can be fixed this time," Lorelai said dejectedly. "This is inexcusable behavior. I acted like a complete fool. I yelled at him in the street! OH GOD! The whole town must know by now!"  
"Just go try. And if I can help…." Chris trailed off. "Well..I just want you to be happy. So call if you need anything. And hey, give that kid of ours a hug for me, will you?"

"Sure, Chris."

Lorelai left Chris's apartment and squinted into the bright sunshine as she climbed into the Jeep. Thanks to the aspirin and the coffee, the pounding in her head was reduced to a dull ache. She pulled out her phone and dialed. Sookie finally answered after 4 rings, sounding out of breath.

"Lorelai! Where have you been? The whole town is looking for you!"

Crap. Lorelai sighed. "Uhhh, whataya mean, Sook?"

"I mean that Luke has either shown up to or called almost every place in town looking for you, so now everyone is worried sick! Where are you? OH! Oh my god! This isn't like the time you ran away from Max and the wedding is it?"

"Uhhh, no Sookie. Look, I'm sure the whole town is talking about the very loud…uhh, conversation Luke and I had last night. It was a crappy night and I needed to get away from it all, so I crashed in Hartford, okay? I'm on my way home now. Please tell everyone I'm fine. I'll fill you in on the rest later."

"Okay honey. Drive carefully please. Do I need to tell Luke anything if I see him?"  
"Oh, uhh, no no. That's okay. I'll talk to him later today. After….well...nevermind. I'll take care of it. Thanks hon!"

Lorelai started the engine and drove home in silence, the information she still couldn't quite process or understand swirling around in her brain. As she pulled up to her house, she saw Luke's truck parked out front. Panic set in and she almost turned around and left again. She hadn't had nearly enough time to figure out what she could possibly say to him. She couldn't erase what had apparently happened. But since she had spent the past couple days childishly hiding from him, and then she just showed up like a crazed lunatic at the diner the previous night...well, she couldn't keep running.

She shut off the car, grabbed her purse and shoes, and took a deep breath before getting out. She walked slowly up to the front steps, the pounding of her heart from panic matching the pounding in her head from the hangover. She held her breath and pushed open the front door quietly.

She peered into the living room and saw Luke sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. He clearly hadn't heard her come in. She watched him for a minute, overcome with love for the man who had searched through the town for her, and remorse for her behavior. As she was contemplating sneaking into the kitchen to compose herself, she saw him look up as if he realized he was being watched. He turned around and saw her, his eyes wide, a combination of sadness, fear, and relief wearing heavily upon his face.

"Lorelai!" He exclaimed. "Where the hell have you been?" He ran over to her and hugged her. She just stood there, feeling paralyzed. Luke looked at her face, her eyes red and puffy, her hair uncharacteristically disheveled, and he was overcome with worry. "Lorelai, talk to me, please. What the hell got into you last night?"

Lorelai breathed deeply, trying to figure out where to start when the phone rang. The sound startled her out of her daze and it took her a moment to realize what she was hearing. The machine picked up and she heard Chris's voice.

"Lor? Are you there?" She ran to the phone to pick it up, afraid of what Chris might say on the machine.

"Chris, I'm here. Yeah, I'm good. Okay…thanks."

She hung up the phone and turned back to Luke, immediately reading the pain on his face that's always there when he hears Christopher's voice.

"What did he want?" Luke asked.

Lorelai looked down and cleared her throat before testing her voice. "He, uhhh, just wanted to make sure I was okay I guess. My parents invited him to dinner last night and tried to set him up with a shrink. Anyway, he could tell I was a little upset last night, so I guess he was just checking on me?"

She slowly raised her head to see how Luke was taking that information. He looked at her, confused.

"Wait, your mom tried to set him up with a shrink?"

Lorelai chuckled a little. "Yeah. Pretty funny, right? He was shanghaied. Actually contemplated sneaking out the window! She was very nice, I talked to her for….well anyway. If you can believe it, they didn't exactly hit it off" she said, sarcastically.

"Imagine that." Luke grabbed onto Lorelai's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "So. The last time I saw you, you were yelling at me for this entire crazy town to hear, and then you walked away from me. Now you show up here at ten in the morning, in the same clothes you were wearing last night, looking like you haven't slept in days…"

"Gee, thanks" she muttered.

"I'm just saying, Lorelai. Can you fill in the missing hours?"

"I don't know, Luke. I just...freaked out! I talked to Lynnie last night after dinner…"

"Lynnie?"

"Yeah, the woman my mother tried to set Chris up with. Anyway, I was just so lost and confused and she was there and willing to listen and I told her that I never really loved anyone, until you, Luke. And that you're the only man in this world that I've ever wanted to marry, but this thing between us makes me feel crappy all the time and I can't talk to you about it because you get defensive and this is not a healthy relationship. I need more, Luke! I'm tired of apologizing every time something isn't perfect. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells all the time and I know this has been a crazy year for you, but you seem to have forgotten you had a fiance in all this who could help. You just kept pushing me away. That's why I went and talked to Anna. I wanted her to know that I'm not some serial killer or something and I told her that this thing between you and me isn't some casual thing. That I've loved you for a long time…."  
"I know," Luke interjected.

"What do you mean, you know?" asked Lorelai.

Luke looked at Lorelai, "After you left my head was spinning. I wanted to go after you, but you really looked like you needed space or time or something and I'm realizing now that was probably not the right choice, but I remembered that you said something about talking to Anna so I called her this morning."

"You...called Anna? For what?"

"I asked her about you going to see her and she filled me in on your conversation and I got really mad. I was so angry that she would think that I would bring a woman into April's life that I'm not 100% sure about and I told her off. I told her that I want you to be a part of April's life because you're the most important part of mine and I finally made her understand. I'm sorry I let you walk away last night. But you were so hysterical and I couldn't even think about what you were saying because I was concerned about the way you were acting…"

"Luke…" Lorelai said, trying to hold back tears. "I…" she lost the fight, and the sobs returned. "I'm such an idiot!" she sobbed. "Why do I always push away the people who mean the most to me? You're the only man I've ever loved, Luke. When I came to you last night, I know I was crazy. But I meant everything I said. I needed you to not think last night, Luke. I needed you to just act. I needed you to remember the horoscope. I needed you to marry me, right then. I couldn't stand to live one more minute without being your wife. I can't be with you if I can't be your wife and you're not all in."

"Lorelai, I've been all in since the very beginning."

"But not lately, Luke. Not at all. I get that finding out you have a kid isn't something you process overnight, but you hid it from me! And then you shut me out of the whole situation. I understood...but I got sick of understanding! And then you brought her to meet Jess when she hadn't even officially met me. And Lane hangs out with her at the diner. I've felt like last on your list for months, Luke! I just wanted to feel included. I wanted to be a part of it. But you kept me at arm's length and I needed to know if you still loved me and wanted me and wanted to be with me, for better or for worse...and you said no. I need someone who can show me how he feels, Luke, don't you get that? So I walked away...from you and from us."

"Lorelai, please…" Luke began "Please don't do this. Please tell me I can fix this."  
"Right now, I don't know if _I_ can fix this…" Lorelai looked into Luke's eyes and saw the confusion.

" _Here goes"_ she thought to herself.

"Last night, after I walked away from you...I didn't know what to do. The love of my life told me no and my head was not in a good place. I didn't want to be alone. I couldn't be alone. And I really couldn't be in this house...what's supposed to be our house. So...I went to Christopher's."

Luke drew in a swift breath and tried to remain calm.

"I cried, a lot. And I drank...a _lot_. And Chris listened to me and he was there for me. He was there for me like you should have been for the last 6 months, Luke!" Lorelai could tell Luke was waiting for the rest of the story. She had essentially ended the relationship last night when he said no and she walked away, but she knew that what she had to tell him would break his heart and she wasn't sure she could do that.

"Dammit, Luke! I love you so much! Why is this happening to us? Why does this keep happening to us?"  
"Lorelai. What happened." Luke said hesitantly.

"That's just it, Luke. I don't really know. I had so much to drink. Chris said I threatened to hurt him if he cut me off. I just didn't want to feel so hurt anymore! I didn't want to feel anything! The last thing I remember we were drinking. Then the next thing I know, I'm waking up to Gigi running into the room and asking why I was in Chris's bed not wearing any clothes…" She could feel Luke seething, but she didn't dare look at his face.

"What. Happened?" Luke asked through gritted teeth.

Lorelai could feel her whole body shaking. "I...I had to ask him. I mean, there was evidence of….well...but I didn't remember anything. Chris said I practically begged him to make me feel loved and wanted. Apparently I...took my clothes off…? So I guess we had...but then I started crying and he said I called him Luke…"

She thought she heard Luke snort. Did he laugh? Or was it a scoff? She was too afraid to look.

"So, I apparently thought he was you? Or hoped he was you? Anyway, it doesn't excuse anything. He said he stopped when I said your name and that I passed out on the bed."

Lorelai continued to stare at her feet. She heard Luke taking labored breaths, as if he were in physical pain. She tried not to cry. She didn't deserve to have anyone feel anything for her. Tears wouldn't help anything at this point.

She slowly lifted her eyes to Luke's, hoping to find something she could cling to. He looked like he was about to boil over. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen Luke cry, but he looked like he might now. She started to open her mouth to speak, but couldn't think of anything that she could say that might fix the last 24 hours.

When Luke saw her open her mouth, he put his hand up to stop her. He was pursing his lips and she could see about a dozen emotions swirling in his eyes, but she wasn't sure if any of them were positive. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he grabbed her arms tightly and kissed her with such force that it was almost painful. She was so confused, but she kissed him back with everything she had, for fear it would be the last time she'd ever kiss him.

He released her and she saw a tear roll down his cheek as she stared at him. His eyes were full of sadness and hurt. He dropped his head, and left the house without a word, slamming the door hard behind him.


	2. Chapter 2 - Reflection

**_Author's Note:  
_** _ **Thank you to everyone reading and following! This chapter is a lot of rehash, but I promise exciting stuff is coming up next!  
_**_

Lorelai stared at the door for a long time. Her lips still stung from the force of Luke's kiss. Something cold touched her leg and she shook her head to bring herself back to the present, realizing it was Paul Anka's nose that she had felt on her leg.

"Hey buddy" she said, scratching him behind the ears. "At least you still love me."

She walked over and slumped down onto the couch. Paul Anka jumped up next to her, laid down, and put his head in her lap.

She didn't know how long she sat there stroking his ears. The sound of a door slamming awakened her from her thoughts and she glanced out the window to find Babette running across the yard to the door.

Lorelai got up quickly and ran outside.

"Hey doll!" Babette screeched. Lorelai had to make a conscious effort not to cringe at Babette's loud, gravelly greeting.

"Paul Anka was doin' that howling thing he does last night, you know? So I came ova' and took him for a walk and gave him some kibble, but he didn't wanna eat! Can't blame the poor thing really. That stuff smells TERRIBLE! Anyway, I musta fallen asleep on your couch because the next thing I knew, Luke came barging through the door screaming your name! I told him you weren't here, but he wouldn't believe me! He went running, FRANTIC upstairs and when you weren't there, he tried the kitchen and even Rory's room! When he didn't find you, he told me he was gonna wait for you and that he'd give Paul Anka his breakfast. So I went home to get some sleep, but then Patty called me and said she saw you guys fighting in the middle of the street last night in front of the diner! She said by the time she got close enough, you were walking away and Luke just stood there lookin' like you slapped him or somethin'! Anyway, so when I saw your Jeep out here I had to come ova and see what was goin' on!"

Babette stopped and looked at Lorelai. "Gee suga', you don't look so good! Is everything okay?"

"Uhh, yeah, Babette. Look, thanks for taking care of Paul Anka! I know he doesn't like being left alone."

"Well sure, dollface! Anytime! Now, what's going on?" Babette asked.

"Oh, just a long night, Babette. Nothing a hot shower and a good Clooney movie can't fix!" Lorelai said, wishing that were true.

"Oh yeah, suga'! That Clooney! Well anyway...if you say so!" said Babette, looking unconvinced. "You call if you need anything, okay?"

"Sure thing, Babette. Thanks!" Lorelai watched Babette walk back home, then went back inside.

She started up the stairs desperately needing a shower. She wished that the shower would wash away the last 24 hours, but at the very least she would be clean. She needed to at least appear to have it together when Rory got home.

She got undressed and threw her dress into the garbage. Not only did she never want to wear it again...she never wanted to SEE it again. It was forever tainted with the memories (and lack of memories) of the night she ruined her life by pushing out the only man she would probably ever love.

Lorelai got into the shower and turned the water as hot as she could stand it. She stood under the stream and let herself break down. She didn't know how she could possibly have any tears left in her body, but they just kept coming, so she let them. She wanted to get it all out so Rory wouldn't have to see her so upset.  
It felt like forever, but eventually her sobbing calmed to unsteady breaths and hiccups. Her skin was red and raw from the hot water. She turned off the shower and toweled off. The second her clothes were on, she heard the front door close.

"Mom!?" Rory yelled.

"Bedroom!" Lorelai responded, as brightly as she could manage. Rory appeared in the doorway just moments later.

"Hey kid!" Lorelai said happily. "How are you holding up? Have you heard from Logan yet?"

Rory pouted. "Not other than the call that he was at the gate and about to board...I miss him, Mom!"

Lorelai hugged her daughter, "I know, hon." They broke their hug and smiled at each other.

"Okay, so let's forget about me for a minute. What in the world is going on here? I was accosted driving through town! Why is everyone so concerned about you? You look fi…" Rory trailed off and looked closely at her mom. "Oh mom. You don't look fine."

"Gee thanks, Kid!"

"No, I just...what's wrong?"

"Oh no. We're not here to talk about me..." said Lorelai.

"Actually," Rory interrupted, "you said you wanted to distract me to keep my mind off Logan. I think talking about anything _but_ me would be a good distraction. So spill! You didn't come home last night, no one knew where you were, I was attacked driving through town, Luke's is closed, and Gypsy told me she saw Luke speed out of town at about a million miles an hour earlier! What is going on?"

Lorelai looked at the concern in her daughter's eyes and immediately dropped her happy, cheerful act and sighed.

"Luke and I...I think we're done." She said sadly.

"What!" exclaimed Rory. "What happened?"

Lorelai shrugged her shoulders. "It just got to be too much. Postponing the wedding and Luke's reaction to April...It all piled up and I lost it. I absolutely lost it. I went to the diner last night after dinner and I was crazy. I told him that I love him, which you know I don't do often enough, and I told him I wanted to elope. I gave him a "let's get married now or never" ultimatum, and he said no and let me walk away." Lorelai sighed.

"I know Luke isn't one to jump and do without thinking. I know that! But I'm so tired of sitting and waiting and I needed him to prove to me in that moment that he was still 'all in' like he claimed to be from the start...and he couldn't do that. So I told him I had to go because it hurt so bad that he wasn't willing to fight for me. And I walked away and left him standing there in the middle of the road."

"Oh mom. I'm so sorry! I don't know what to say. Maybe...maybe he just needs a little more time?"

Lorelai almost laughed. "Well clearly. He said no, he clearly needs more time. But I'm all out of time, hon. I can't keep giving him more and more time and getting nothing in return! I'm worn out, kid! I need him to show me that I'm still important to him, or I need to let him go. And last night he never once made me feel like a priority. If he's as in love with me as he claims to be, what stopped him from making me his wife last night?"

"I don't know, Mom. Luke has been head over heels in love with you for so long! I can't believe that he would just let you go like that."

"Well believe it, because he did." Rory hung her head sadly. Lorelai began again, "But I don't know what to think because between last night and this morning he apparently harassed the entire town looking for me and he was here on the couch waiting for me when I got home this morning." Lorelai said, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"He was?" asked Rory. "That must have been before Gypsy saw him speeding out of town…" she added, mostly to herself.

"So…." Rory said hesitantly, "Are you ever actually going to tell me where you were last night, or are you going to continue to expertly avoid that particular question?"

Lorelai looked at Rory with tears in her eyes. "I was at your Dad's…."

Rory's mouth dropped open. "You _what_? What were you thinking? Oh god, Mom. Did anything...I mean, please tell me you didn't…"

Lorelai hung her head and Rory said, "Mom! How could you?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I don't even know. That's obviously _not_ why I went there. We were talking and I was drinking a _lot_. Truthfully, I didn't even know it had happened until I woke up this morning in his bed." Lorelai cringed. "He uhh...he told me that I called him Luke, and then started crying."

"Ouch..." Rory said, cringing.

"I know. I must have been a total mess. Probably could have given Courtney Love a run for her crazy money."

"Why did you go to dad?" Asked Rory. "Why didn't you go to Sookie? Or...well _any_ one else? Even Michel would have been preferable in this instance!"

"History, kid. He gets me. He knows what to say and how to say it. He cares for me. And he's always got enough hooch on hand to make even the most accomplished drunk forget all of his problems. That's just...what I needed after that horrible scene in the square. But then...apparently I was upset and mourning my life with Luke and I guess I practically threw myself at Christopher. But he said he left me in bed as soon as I called him Luke. And that he figured I just needed someone to hold me while I slept." Lorelai shook her head.

"I don't know, kid. Maybe I should just stop fighting it and be with your dad...it seems to be what everyone else has always wanted."

"Except you, Mom!" Rory said. "You don't love dad. Well, I'm sure you love him, but not like you love Luke! You and Luke belong together! I think you just have some things to figure out. You guys just need to talk to each other."

Just then, Lorelai looked up at Rory, confused. "Wait a second. Did you say that Gypsy saw Luke driving out of town?"

"Uhh, yeah. Why?"

"Well remember how I said he was here waiting for me when I got home?"

"Yeah...OH! Oh my god! What did you tell him?"

"What do you think? After all we've gone through this year, and after last night, I'm not going to lie to him! Plus...your dad kind of called while Luke and I were talking." Lorelai winced, remembering the moment she heard Chris's voice on the machine. "At first I let the machine get it until I heard it was him. I raced over to pick it up because I didn't want Luke to hear anything from Chris that he hadn't yet heard from me, you know? Anyway, he wanted to make sure I was home okay since I was so...upset when I left, but I thought Luke's head would explode when he heard Christopher's voice."

"So what did he say?" Rory asked, not feeling very hopeful.

"You know Luke. He's a man of few words, unless he's in Luke-rant mode. He mostly just listened. I told him everything - about Friday Night Dinner, about the shrink and your Dad." Lorelai saw Rory's confused face and chuckled. "Oh! You left before the best part of the evening! Grandma tried to set your dad up with a shrink named Lynnie."

"Oh my god! Grandma! So what was she like?"

"Oh you know, pretty, smart, easy to talk to…"

"What do you mean, 'easy to talk to?'" Rory asked Lorelai.

"Ha! Well, see, I was kind of upset about Luke and when I went to leave, she was sitting there in her car on the phone with a client and we got to talking and I ended up in her backseat spilling my life story…" Lorelai shook her head. "She was really great, actually. She made me realize that, before Luke, I always viewed marriage as a solution to a problem because it always felt forced on me. But with Luke...I've never really loved anyone until Luke. And when I asked him to marry me, it wasn't to solve a problem. It was because I was so in love with this man who cared for you and would do anything to make me happy, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him." Lorelai blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall again. "I told her I could lose him if I pushed too hard…" Rory put her arm around her mom and laid her head on her shoulder.

"So anyway," she began again after a moment, "I told him everything. Including the stuff Chris had to tell me about because I was too drunk to remember."

"And...he didn't say _any_ thing?" Rory felt like she was missing part of the story somewhere.

"Not a word. But I've never seen him look so hurt." Lorelai sighed, the look on Luke's face permanently ingrained in her mind. "And then he kissed me and stormed out."

"Wait! He kissed you?" Rory asked excitedly.

"No, not like an, 'I'll love you forever' kiss." Lorelai explained. "It was angry and forceful and I'm pretty sure it was an, 'I'll never see you again' kiss."

"Wow…" Rory shook her head in disbelief.

"And now he's speeding out of town! Where could he have gone?" Lorelai wondered out loud."

"Uhh, Mom?" Rory asked tentatively.

"Yeah hon?"

"Does Luke know where Dad lives?"

"What? Why?"

"Well...remember you telling me about when he beat up that car because he wasn't wearing his socks?" Rory said quietly.

"Ohhhh my god! No! He wouldn't! Would he?" Lorelai was getting anxious. "Oh my god. He would. Dammit. I need to call Christopher!"

Lorelai rushed downstairs to the phone and dialed Chris, who answered on the first ring.

"Chris? Oh good. This is awkward, but umm, you haven't seen Luke, have you?" Lorelai asked.

Chris made a sound that Lorelai couldn't quite decipher and said, "You could say that…"

Lorelai cringed. "Oh boy. What does that mean?"

"Well, I think my nose has finally stopped bleeding, but it might be broken."

"He _hit_ you?" Lorelai heard Rory gasp.

"He's got one hell of a right hook…" Chris quipped.

"Oh my god, Chris! I don't know what to say!"

"Don't worry about it, Lor" Chris said. "Seriously. I deserved it. I probably would have done the same thing."

"So did he say anything? Or was it a hit and run?" Lorelai asked, more intrigued than she probably should have been.

"Not a word," Chris said. "I opened the door, he punched my lights out, and turned around and left."

"Well, that does sound like Luke," said Lorelai. "Dammit Chris, I'm so sorry."

"I'm not," said Chris. "I probably would have reacted the same way. He loves you, Lor. I know he does because he looks at you the same way I do."

Lorelai nodded to herself. "Chris…" she began. "I'm…"

Chris cut her off, "I know, Lor. I'm sorry too. I completely took advantage of the situation last night and it all got out of hand. But seriously. I'm fine. I would have punched me, too."

Lorelai nodded and hung up the phone rather dumbfounded. She turned to Rory, who was staring at her, a look of complete shock on her face - mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"What? Are you catching flies?" Lorelai remarked to Rory, somewhat cheerfully. Rory made a conscious effort to close her mouth and looked at her mom in amusement.

"What about this situation is at all funny to you?" Rory asked.

Lorelai laughed. "It's just all so ridiculous! Plus, if I don't laugh, I'll start crying again. And I'm really tired of crying." Lorelai shook her head. "None of this would have happened if I hadn't lost my damn mind! Sure, Luke pushed me there, but there was probably a better way to address it. And now in the last day, I've managed to completely screw up the most important relationship in my life, get the father of my child a possible broken nose, worry an entire town…" She stopped suddenly. "Oh my god! The Inn! It's Saturday! I'm supposed to be at the Inn!"

"Mom," Rory said, "you own the place. What are you gonna do? Fire yourself? Relax! You can't change anything that has happened, but you might be able to fix the most important thing. I mean, if you want it fixed...and you _do_ want it fixed, right?"

"Oh hon. I would love more than anything to be Luke's wife and to have some kids with him and grow old with him - but only if he can be the man who said a year ago, without a second thought, that he wanted to marry me. I don't know where to find that guy and I can't be sure after all I told him this morning that he even still exists."

"He exists mom" Rory said softly.

Lorelai smiled sadly at her daughter.

Rory nodded and squeezed her mom's hand. "So now what?" she asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I can't even begin to think straight. My head is spinning."

"Uhh, that's probably due to the gallons of tequila you apparently drank last night," Rory offered.

"Ha ha" said Lorelai. "I'd like to ask exactly how you knew it was tequila, but I guess my reputation precedes me in that area, doesn't it?"

Rory laughed. "Well, you are on a first name basis with Mr. Cuervo himself."

Lorelai gave her daughter a hug. "Thanks for being here and for making me smile through this mess, kid! Sorry I'm being such a bummer instead of cheering you up."

Rory waved off her concern. "You never said anything about cheering. You only promised a distraction and you certainly delivered that!"

"Hmmm," said Lorelai "at least I've got that going for me…"

Just then, Rory's phone rang and she jumped up to get it. "Oh! Maybe it's Logan!" she said excitedly.

Rory ran to grab her phone while Lorelai sat back down on the couch to think. She could hear Rory talking in her room, but couldn't decipher what she was saying. She stopped trying to eavesdrop and focused her attention on what in the world she should do. Her mind was reeling, replaying the events of the last couple days.

" _What happens now_?" she thought. She wasn't sure if she should try to find Luke, or let him cool off, or if she should wait for him to come to her...but she could be waiting forever for that. She meant everything she said the night before and she was ready to stand by it.

"Wait...did Luke say he talked to Anna?" she said out loud, to no one in particular.

"What was that?" Lorelai's thoughts were interrupted by Rory returning to the room. She looked at Rory,

"Oh. Hey. Sorry, I was talking to myself. First sign of insanity, you know?" Rory chuckled at her mom. "So was that Logan? Is he there safely?" Lorelai asked Rory.

"No, it was Lane!" said Rory. "She and Zach are home from their honeymoon. She asked if we could meet for coffee, but I told her that I'm all yours today!"

Lorelai rolled her eyes, "No way, kid! Your best friend has been gone for two weeks, go hang out with her! Find out everything about their trip! I'll be just fine. I have some thinking to do anyway...and I could really use a nap. Go have fun!"

"Are you sure, mom? You've been through hell the last few days. I don't want to leave you alone if you're not okay." Rory offered.

"I'm good. I mean, I'm not good, you know? But I want you to go see Lane. And I want details when you get back. And a danish." Lorelai told her.

"Okay, try to get some rest, mom. Do you need anything? Other than the danish, that is." She asked Lorelai.

"Well you know I'll never turn down coffee," she said. "But I just want you to go have some girl time. Thanks for being here, kid."

"That's my job" said Rory. Then called "love you mom!" as she headed out the door to Lane's.

Lorelai waved behind her as the door closed. She sighed heavily and stood up, then slowly made her way upstairs to the bedroom. She paused in the doorway and looked around the beautiful room that she and Luke were supposed to share. She was immediately hit with an overwhelming sense of loss and blinked back the tears that stung her eyes.

"No. I can't cry anymore. It hurts too much." she thought to herself. She took a deep, shaky breath to try to compose herself and sat down on the bed. She absentmindedly smoothed her hand over the bedspread that she and Luke had chosen - not too girly, but not too manly either. The perfect fit.

She couldn't fight it any longer. The overwhelming emotion broke her down and she allowed the tears to fall again. She curled up hugging Luke's pillow to her chest and sobbed into it, the very real fear of never holding him again pushing her over the emotional edge. The pillow still smelled like his cologne and the memories the scent evoked caused her very real pain.

She cried so hard and for so long that she exhausted herself and fell asleep still clutching Luke's pillow to her chest. When she awoke hours later, she opened her eyes slowly and was overcome with the feeling that someone was watching her. She smiled a bit to herself, and turned around to Rory sitting in a chair by the bed.

...except it wasn't Rory she found sitting there.

_  
 _ **Stay tuned...Chapter 3 is exciting!**_


	3. Chapter 3 - All In Again

_**Author's Note: This chapter is a bit longer and you'll understand the M-rating as the story progresses. Thank you so much for the lovely and thought-provoking reviews! I truly appreciate each and every one! Happy reading and please keep reviewing! I'm so glad people are enjoying this!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: This chapter (along with the next 2) were written prior to the airing of "A Year in the Life". You may notice there are a few similarities. That was, obviously, unintentional (though kind of cool!) and while I thought briefly about changing the story so it didn't feel "stolen," I decided to say to hell with it and keep it as is. Any similarities to ASP's story are purely coincidental**_.  
_

Lorelai blinked a few times to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. "Luke?" she said, her voice sounding shaky.

"Hey" he said, tentatively.

"Uh...hi." She replied. "I, uhh...well, I didn't expect you to be there...here."

Luke shrugged. "I just needed to cool off. Process everything." _Blow off some steam,_ he thought to himself.

"I get that" Lorelai said. "I'm so sorry, Luke. I know that doesn't fix what happened. But I'm so sorry. I didn't think. I shouldn't have gone to him. I was just so lost and confused."

Luke reached down and smoothed her hair back from her face, shocking Lorelai with his gentleness. "I've had a lot of time to think today. I went for a drive…" Lorelai cringed.

"I uhh...I heard." Luke's eyes shot up to meet her gaze and he saw that Lorelai smirk on her face that he loved so much.

"You...heard? And you're not yelling at me?"

"I talked to Chris. Gypsy saw you speeding out of town and since there's kind of prior precedent, I sort of figured out where you went."  
Luke watched Lorelai intently as she spoke. "So you called him to make sure I didn't kill him?"

"Not really. I guess I just called him to confirm my suspicions. You know how much I love being right." Lorelai told him.

"So anyway, he told me what happened and said that he didn't blame you for punching his lights out. That he would do the same thing."  
Luke chuckled. "Imagine that. Something we actually have in common."

"So," Lorelai began, "you said you went for a drive and had time to think….?"

"Right" said Luke as Lorelai sat up in bed, still clutching Luke's pillow. "I owe you an apology. Last year, we promised we wouldn't keep secrets from each other and I broke that promise in a big way. Then instead of owning up to it and involving you, I was so lost that I just used April to push you away. And the worst part is that you had to question at all whether or not I love you. I'll never forgive myself for that. I've never once stopped loving you, Lorelai. I need you to know that."

Lorelai looked at Luke and saw the sadness and regret in his eyes. But she also saw that look. That look that told the whole world long before she figured it out that Luke was into her. Her heart melted and a couple stray tears fell from her eyes.

Luke moved out of the chair and sat on the bed next to Lorelai. He wiped the tears from her face and pulled her into a gentle embrace. When they pulled away from each other, Lorelai took a deep breath before she started to speak.

"I didn't know what to do or say, Luke" she said to him, cautiously. "I felt like I wasn't a part of your life anymore. Like you didn't want me to be, but you were too afraid to say it maybe? I don't know. I know communication hasn't ever been one of our strong points, but I just really wanted you to let me into that part of your life and instead you just continued to push me away. I knew that an ultimatum had the strong possibility of driving a wedge between us that could never be moved, but I had to take that risk. Do you understand that I had to take that risk? I'll never love anyone the way I love you, Luke. You're the only man I want to be with for the rest of my life and I really wanted you to jump at the opportunity to be what I needed you to be. When you said no...I…"

"I'm so sorry," Luke interrupted. "I couldn't think straight. You weren't making any sense. I hadn't been able to find you for two days and then you showed up and you were talking a million miles a minute..."

"I would think you'd be used to that by now" Lorelai quipped.

"Well sure, but usually it's a funny story or something I can at least kind of follow. I didn't know where any of it was coming from, which I realize now was my fault. I just wish you had come to talk to me about it."

"But there was no talking to you, Luke. You had built this wall around you and April and there wasn't even a window for me to peek in. I didn't know how to get in. And then you let me help with the party and I thought we had finally started to move forward. I had so much fun with you and with her...she's a great kid, Luke. And then Anna got so upset, which I understand. But then you were upset and I felt like we were back to square one and I just couldn't go through it all again. I either needed you to jump with me, or I needed to let you go."

Lorelai shook her head and sighed. She didn't feel as though she was getting anywhere with this conversation. But Luke had come back. That had to have been a good sign, right?

"Lorelai?" Luke lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye. "I love you. I've loved you for a long time and I could never stop loving you. And I want to marry you, more than anything."

Lorelai cocked her head to the side, afraid to blink, afraid she was about to wake up from a dream. She opened her mouth to speak, but for the first time in her life, words failed her.

"Come with me," Luke said. "I need to show you something."

Lorelai thought about how she must look after all the sobbing and little sleep…  
"Luke, I…"

"I know. You're beautiful. Come with me, please?"

Lorelai hesitated for a second. "Luke...what about…?"

Luke shook his head. "It doesn't matter. None of it matters. All I want is you, Lorelai. All I've ever wanted was you. So unless it meant something to you, it doesn't matter."

Lorelai couldn't believe what she was hearing. " _Unless it meant something to me... What is he nuts?_ " she thought.

"Of course it didn't mean anything to me!"

"Well then come with me. I have something to show you." Luke urged.

Lorelai set the pillow down on the bed and stood up slowly. Luke took her left hand in his and ran his thumb over her engagement ring. Lorelai looked down at what he was doing and brought her gaze up to his face. His eyes were glossy, clearly full of tears. She gave him a small smile, put her right hand on his face, and kissed him ever so softly. She tried to pull back to look at him, but he squeezed her hand and swiftly pulled her body into his. The kiss began almost tentatively, as if they were embarking on new territory though they had been here before more times than they could count. They were learning to trust each other again. Luke pulled her hips to his and deepened the kiss and Lorelai parted her lips to allow his tongue to enter and explore her mouth. She made a sound that was a cross between a soft moan, and a stifled sob. He hadn't kissed her like that in months and she didn't think she was ever going to feel that passion from him again.

Luke snuck his hands under the hem of her t-shirt as they continued to kiss and ran his fingers across her back. He reached up and unhooked her bra and Lorelai broke the kiss and looked at him, questioningly.

"Wait." She said. "Didn't you want to show me something?"

Luke chuckled. "After a kiss like that, the only thing I want to show you is how much I want you, and how much I want you to be my wife. The rest can wait."

Lorelai smiled and gave a barely perceptible nod. Her breath caught as he abruptly pulled her back into a needy embrace. She instinctively raised her arms and he expertly removed her shirt and the bra he had just unhooked. The clothes landed on the floor and he slowly ran his hands down the soft skin on her sides, just barely allowing his thumbs to graze the outer swell of her breasts. She gasped and felt her heart race. She removed his baseball cap and tossed it onto the nearby dresser, then unbuttoned his flannel shirt, pushed it off his shoulders, and tossed it away. She pulled him close and just the feeling of his bare chest on hers was enough to make her moan into his kiss.

Luke moved toward her, not breaking contact, but carefully urging her backward. When they reached the edge of the bed, Lorelai sat while Luke toed off his shoes and removed his socks. They looked at each other...both clearly a bit nervous. It certainly wasn't their first time, but it had been so long since they'd needed each other's love so desperately that the anticipation of what was to come was enough to make them feel like it was their first time all over again.

Just as Luke stepped forward again, Lorelai's cell phone rang, startling them both. They both looked at the phone and, seeing Rory's name on the screen, Lorelai picked it up.

"Hey hon. Everything okay?"

"Hey mom! Yeah, I'm good. Just checking in on you. I'm still at Lane's but I can come home if you need me to."

Lorelai looked at the beautiful, half-naked man standing before her, looking at her with more love in his eyes than she could ever remember seeing.

"I'm good, kid." She said honestly. "You hang out with Lane as long as you want. I'm fine, I promise."

Rory could tell something was up, but her mom seemed genuinely fine, so she didn't ask questions.

"Okay. Well call me if you need me. I'll be home in a couple hours."

"A couple hours sounds good" Lorelai replied. "Love you, kid."

"Love you too, mom." Said Rory, and Lorelai closed her phone.

"So we have a couple hours, huh?" Luke asked her, his eyes dark with desire.

"Eavesdropping now, are we?" She answered playfully, then winked at him. "So...where were we?" She asked.

Luke stepped forward, placed his hands on her shoulders, and ran his fingers gently down her arms and back up again. Then, taking her head in his hands, he leaned down and kissed her like he meant it.

Lorelai slid herself back further onto the bed until she could lay on her pillow as Luke covered her body with his. Feeling his weight on top of her made her instantly wet and she reached between their bodies and felt for his belt. He got the hint pretty quickly and climbed off the bed long enough to remove his jeans and boxers, then leaned over to help Lorelai remove the pajama pants she had put on after her shower.

He dropped her pants and underwear onto the floor and stared at the gorgeous woman lying in wait for him. He shook his head in disbelief and Lorelai looked at him questioningly.

"What are you staring at, mister? Did I grow a third nipple overnight or something?"

Luke smiled and rolled his eyes. "Please. I was just thinking how damn lucky I am to have a woman like you love me."

"I am madly in love with you," Lorelai said to him. "You and only you. For the rest of my life."

She smiled up at him and took a moment to take in the view of the man she loved. _Damn he's hot._ She thought to herself.

She ran her eyes slowly down his body and her breath halted when she got low enough to take in the impressive erection he was sporting. Either her eyes grew three sizes or she swallowed hard or both because Luke laughed.

"You like what you see?" He asked her.

For a moment, she couldn't speak. So she just nodded, then took a deep breath.

"Will you get back down here please?" She asked him.

Luke happily obliged and joined her on the bed, laid down next to her and caught her mouth with his.

They kissed deeply, allowing their hands to explore the familiar curves of each other's bodies. Feeling his hardness pressing into her leg was driving her crazy!

Luke slipped one hand down between her legs and softly cupped her sex. She moaned into his kiss and he carefully parted her folds with one finger, gasping when he felt how wet she was. She smiled as they kissed, knowing exactly what had caught him by surprise. No man had ever turned her on as much as Luke and she loved how he always reacted to it.

Luke began moving his finger very slowly up and down her slit as she pressed her hips into his hand.

"Oh god, Luke." she moaned. "I really need you inside me" she told him. There was typically a lot of fun foreplay between them, but right now she was desperately craving that deep connection.

Luke was slightly taken aback. She wasn't always so forward, but he was pretty certain he understood her plight and planned to give this woman everything she desired.

He situated himself between her legs and gently pressed his cock against her center. She bucked her hips toward him and he chuckled at her neediness. He fully intended to fill her, but knew that if he wasn't careful, it wasn't going to last very long. They hadn't been together like this in far too long and he was desperate to not blow it...literally.

Luke leaned over her and kissed her deeply, then moved his mouth a bit lower, kissing her neck which he knew would drive her wild. He continued by placing soft kisses along her collarbone and then down the line of her cleavage. He circled her right nipple slowly with his tongue while gently massaging her other breast with his hand. She moaned his name as he caught her nipple between his teeth and then sucked gently.

Luke moved his mouth to her other breast and gave it the same attention he had given the first one. Lorelai was practically panting and when he looked at her face, her pleading eyes said everything.

He readjusted between her legs and slowly ran the tip of his erection up and down her slit to moisten it. She instinctively opened her legs wider as he pressed against her opening. In one swift movement he was deep inside her and they sighed in relief together.

Lorelai clenched her muscles around him and wrapped her legs around his back, holding him to her, needing to feel just how perfectly he filled her.

They stared into each other's eyes as she slowly lowered her legs and he began a steady rhythm. They touched every inch of the other's body that they could, moving and moaning together, sharing deep kisses and never wanting the feeling to end.

Lorelai's breathing increased and Luke knew that she was close to hitting her climax and that only made him move with more urgency.

"Oh God, Luke!" Lorelai moaned.

As if he needed more encouragement, he quickened his pace and she let out a loud moan as her muscles contracted around him with her release. Lorelai's climax was all Luke needed and he immediately released into her, moaning her name.

Luke collapsed on top of Lorelai as they attempted to come down from their high. He looked at those bright blue eyes staring at him and smiled. Lorelai looked at him questioningly.

"You're staring again..." Lorelai said.

"Only because you're the most beautiful woman in the world."

Lorelai blushed and kissed him softly.

"Man. I forgot how amazing make-up sex was." Lorelai said, and Luke chuckled in response.

"I love you, Luke," she said softly.

Luke kissed her again and responded in kind. "I love you, Lorelai. And I promise to never make you question that again."

Luke moved carefully off of her and settled next to her on the bed. She snuggled close and rested her head on his chest while playing absentmindedly with the soft hair there. She felt Luke sigh and looked up at him.

"What was that for?" she asked him.

"What?"

"You sighed. Are you okay?"

"Perfect. I'm just...relieved. Content. I was...Well, I was afraid we'd never get back here."

"Me too." Lorelai said. "I've really missed you, Luke."

Luke pulled her tightly to him, kissed her head, and smoothed her hair.

"So…" Lorelai began after a few minutes, "do you really have something to show me? Or were you just trying to get in my pants?" she joked.

"How long until Rory gets back?" Luke asked her.

"Probably not long. Why? Got something else dirty up your sleeve?"

Lorelai grinned at Luke and he could see that flirty seduction in her eyes that she probably had no idea even existed.

"Always," he began, "but…" he trailed off and sat up.

He took Lorelai's left hand in his and ran his finger over her engagement ring again. He slowly removed it from her finger and got up from the bed. Lorelai sat up and started to protest, but he held up his hand to stop her.

Luke walked to the dresser and set her ring on top of it, then started getting dressed. Lorelai looked on, confused.

"Luke, what are you…"

Luke interrupted. "Just wait a second. And maybe get some clothes on in case Rory shows up soon."

Lorelai wasn't sure what was going on in that gorgeous head of his, but figured that he was probably right, so she got up from the bed and grabbed her tightest pair of jeans and a low cut top from the dresser and went into the bathroom to wash her face and get dressed. She figured she'd tease him with her revealing wardrobe to make absolutely certain he was going to give her that ring back.

Luke finished buttoning up his flannel shirt and put his blue baseball cap back on his head just as the bathroom door opened. He turned toward Lorelai and his eyes almost popped out of his head.

"Geez, Lorelai. I wasn't going to keep the ring forever. You didn't have to try to bribe me by looking like that!" Luke said playfully.

Lorelai giggled, loving that he could see right through her. He always could.

Luke walked over to her, the ring in his pocket. Lorelai just watched him, curious.

"Lorelai, a year ago you sat in the diner and asked me to marry you. With no hesitation I said yes because I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life without you. This past year we've been through a lot. And I've put you through a lot. But today, right here, I'm telling you again that I'm all in. I will fight everyday of the rest of my life to make sure that you know that. And to prove that to you right now, this time, I'm asking you…."

Lorelai could feel tears stinging her eyes as she watched Luke slowly lower himself to one knee in front of her.

"Lorelai...will you marry me?"

She blinked and opened her eyes slowly to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. She figured he took the ring for a reason, but didn't imagine this was it. She stared down at the man before her and her heart swelled with love. She truly believed he was, once again, all in.

"Yes, Luke. Of course I'll marry you." she told him, and with that he returned the ring to her finger and stood to kiss her. Lorelai finally let the happy tears fall and Luke pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I promise I will never again treat you like you don't matter or like you don't belong in my life. Because you _do._ "

Lorelai squeezed him tightly and released him. She looked down at the ring sparkling on her hand and knew it felt different. She brought her hand to his face and kissed him softly.

"Thank you" she told him. "For being here. For fighting for me. For fighting for _this_ with me."

"Always and forever," Luke responded.

Just then, they heard the front door close.

"Mom?!" came Rory's voice from the living room. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good, kid. We'll be right down."

Rory didn't know who the other part of the "we" was, but she shrugged and made her way to the kitchen to set down the bag of danishes and the coffee she brought back.

Lorelai looked at Luke. "We should go down there and let her know that we're okay. She was pretty concerned earlier. I told her everything."

Luke nodded. "You bet. And then I still have something to show you."

"Oh so you weren't just trying to get in my pants?" Lorelai chided.

Luke chuckled and grabbed her hand and led her downstairs.

Luke and Lorelai made their way into the kitchen, hands linked together. Rory looked up from the bag of danishes she was unpacking and did a double take.

"Are you guys...I mean...is everything okay?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded and Rory yelped excitedly. She ran over and gave them both a hug.

"Hey, Lorelai, you mind if I borrow Rory for a minute?"

Lorelai looked a bit confused, but said, "Sure".

"Cherry danishes in the bag and coffee on the counter!" Rory said to her mom as Luke led her out of the kitchen.

"Bless you!" Lorelai called after her daughter.

Luke led Rory outside onto the front porch.

"Hey, so, I asked your mom to marry me." Luke told her.

"Ummm...but, weren't you guys already engaged?" Rory asked.

"Well, yeah," Luke started, "but I needed to ask her. I needed her to know I was all in." Rory smiled and nodded at her stepfather-to-be and gave him a hug.

"I"m glad you're all in. You make mom so happy and I love you like a father. I want you guys to be happy together."

Luke was taken aback at Rory's declaration of love for him and smiled shyly.

"I want that, too. And you've been like a daughter to me since I first met you."

They grinned at each other for a moment until Luke cleared his throat.

"Okay, so...your mom wanted to elope..." Luke began.

"Oh my god, yes!" Said Rory.

Luke grinned. "Can I finish?" He asked Rory, feigning annoyance.

"Sorry. Go on."

"As I was saying, your mom wanted to elope. She said something last night about Maryland, but I talked to Taylor on the way over and...wait! You're on break from school, right? We can't do this without you!"

Rory smiled. "Yes I'm on break. I'm working with Paris this summer - don't ask- but I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Okay good. So I thought about calling your grandparents. Could you do that? I know they haven't always been on board with us, but I know she'd want them there and I know they would want to be there...or I think..." Luke trailed off. He had never had the best relationship with Richard and Emily, but their last encounter at dinner had been almost positive. And he knew that, despite their overbearing tendencies, they really did want their daughter to be happy….

"They would absolutely want to be there!" Rory said, shaking Luke from his thoughts. "I'll call them right away!"

"Okay. Good...good. Thanks, Rory."

"Of course! What else can I do?" Rory asked him.

"Okay, well, like I was saying, I talked to Taylor and he said we could use the gazebo and believe it or not, Kirk is a Justice of the Peace and he said he'd perform the ceremony for us."

"Of course he is" Rory laughed. "So you decided all this before you came over here? How'd you know you guys were going to work it all out?"

"I didn't" Luke said. "I just had to hope we would. I can't imagine living without your mom."

Rory nodded. "Well I'm glad you guys did work it out."

"Me too" Luke responded. "Okay, so you're going to call your grandparents, I'm going to call Sookie and see how fast she can whip up a cake or pie...your mother has always has a soft spot for pie."

"Okay so clearly you haven't run any of this by her yet if you're hauling me out here away from her, which by the way, is probably driving her crazy right now." Rory said.

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to run it by you first. So you think she'll go for it?"

"I guess you'll never know until you get your butt in the house and ask her, right?" Rory responded.

Luke smiled and squeezed Rory's shoulders. "Thanks, Rory." he said, and went back into the house as Rory pulled out her cell to call her grandparents.

As he walked back into the house, Luke heard Lorelai on the phone.

"And then he got down on one knee, Sookie! LUKE!"

Luke stopped and smiled. She was clearly relaying the last few hours to her best friend. He started walking toward the kitchen and Lorelai stopped talking when she saw him.

"Hey, Sook. He just came back in. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Hey, tell her I need to talk to her later too" Luke said.

Lorelai looked at him quizzically "Uhhh...okay. Hey Sookie? Luke said he wants to talk to you later. No. I don't know why. I'll see what I can get out of him. Okay, bye hon!"

Lorelai kissed Luke and asked him playfully, "So what's with the secret conversation with my daughter?"

Luke took a deep breath and looked at his fiance. "I want to marry you."

Lorelai giggled, "yes, hon. You've made that clear."

"Tomorrow," Luke said.

Lorelai's mouth dropped open.

"I'm sorry. Repeat that please?"

"I said I want to marry you tomorrow." Luke told her.

Lorelai looked at Luke and saw his eyes sparkle with love for her. She didn't know what he had planned.

"O….kay." Lorelai responded. "I...but...where? And when? And how? And is that what you were talking to Rory about? Wait, but my parents have to be…"

"Lorelai" Luke said, chuckling to himself. "Come with me."

Lorelai smiled and took the hand that Luke offered to her. They went out the front door and walked toward the center of town.

"Where are you taking me, Luke? It's getting dark."

"Would you just be patient for once in your life?" Luke chided.

A minute later, Luke stopped walking and Lorelai turned and looked at him questioningly.

"Luke. We're in the middle of the road in the middle of town. Why'd you stop?"

He smiled at her and pointed to the town square. Lorelai slowly turned and looked in the direction he was pointing. As the sight before her registered, she gasped.

"Oh my God, Luke! What is all this? Did you do this?"

Luke grinned. "Well, I had some help. This is where I'd like to marry you tomorrow, Lorelai. If that's okay with you."

Lorelai couldn't believe what she was looking at. The gazebo had been covered in about a million twinkle lights. There were daisies and sunflowers everywhere. There was a huge sign that said "Luke and Lorelai". Tears welled up in Lorelai's eyes as she struggled to find words. A rarity in her life. Her eyes lingered on the sunflowers and she knew that Luke had included those as a way to include Rory. Rory loved sunflowers.

"I talked to Rory and she's calling your parents, so they can be here. And I want April here. I want you guys to spend time together. She really likes you, Lorelai. And I need to talk to Sookie, but I know she'll be able to whip up a cake. I know it's not really eloping when people know, but we've already waited way too long. I just...do you like it?"

"Luke. This is...this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I can't believe you did all this!" Lorelai said to him.

Luke just shrugged. "It's really no big deal. I didn't know if we'd even get to use it. I just...I wanted to try…"

With that, Lorelai stepped toward him, put her hand on Luke's cheek, and kissed him hard.

"Thank you." she said simply when they broke apart.

"I just like to see you happy," Luke told her, and kissed her again.  
_

 _ **Thank you for reading/fav-ing/following/reviewing! It's all much appreciated! Stay tuned in the next few days for more! Happy Holidays to everyone!**_


	4. Chapter 4 - The Night Before

**_Author's Note:  
_** _ **Thank you all for the follows/favorites and reviews! I'm glad people are enjoying this story! Please keep giving me your thoughts!  
_ **_

By the time Luke and Lorelai arrived back at the house, they were both exhausted but happier than they'd been in a long time. Lorelai's head was spinning thinking about the next day. She couldn't believe how much Luke had thought about and coordinated in a matter of hours.

They walked into the house to find Rory on the couch in the living room, talking on the phone.

"Yes, Sookie. Tomorrow. Can you do it? Great! She'll be so excited! Yes I'll have her call you…."

She broke off when she realized Luke and Lorelai were standing there watching her.

"Hey Sookie! She's right here!"

Rory handed her mom the phone and smiled at Luke. Lorelai took the phone into the kitchen and Rory and Luke heard her squeal as she left the room.

"She's really happy" Rory said, giggling.

"I hope so," said Luke. "That's all I want."

"So what did she think?" Rory asked him.

"Kirk really came through." Luke said and chuckled when Rory gave him a very confused look.

"I asked him to decorate for me. Gave him _very_ specific instructions and just hoped and prayed that he wouldn't screw it up. But it was perfect. Your mom really seemed to love it. It just felt like her. Plus..." Luke blushed. "There's a little surprise for you, too."

"For me?" Rory asked. "Why me?"

Luke smiled at his soon-to-be stepdaughter. "Because you two are a package deal. I know that. I wanted a little nod to you, too. I think your mom picked up on it."

Rory was touched by his often uncharacteristic show of affection.

"Well I can't wait to see it!" she told him.

"Can't wait to see what?" they heard from the hallway.

Lorelai walked into the room and sat down on the couch next to her daughter.

"The square. Luke won't give me details." Rory responded.

"Rory...you won't believe it. This guy loves us. _I_ still can't believe it." Lorelai told her.

She turned to look at Luke who was leaning on the back of the couch. They smiled at each other and Lorelai could swear she saw tears in Luke's eyes. She winked at him and he put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"Ahem" Rory said. "If you guys are going to be giving each other bedroom eyes, I'm gonna have to go crash with Lane or something."

Luke and Lorelai laughed.

"Well, if you're offering…." Lorelai began.

"Lorelai. Don't give your daughter nightmares" Luke said, smiling.

"I'm just kidding! We'll save that for later" she said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"So what did Sookie say?" Rory asked, desperate to change the subject.

"OH! She's in and halfway through the cake already!" Lorelai said.

"The woman is good." Rory said.

"What about…" Luke began.

"I called Grandma and Grandpa," said Rory, anticipating Luke's question. "Of course they'll be here. But mom? You should call them too."

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah." she said. "Your Grandma is probably a little confused since she was on the unfortunate receiving end of one of my breakdowns the other day."

"What breakdown?" Luke asked, concerned. He knew he'd hurt her badly, but hearing her mention a breakdown that he had undoubtedly caused was hard to hear. He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid. He had dreamed of being with this amazing woman for so many years, and he'd just spent the last eight months pushing her away.

"Well...my parents wanted to buy us a house as a wedding gift…" Lorelai started.

"They _what?!_ " Luke asked, shaken from his inner thoughts and completely taken aback.

"They found a house. Just barely outside Stars Hollow, but apparently we could get Taylor to change the zoning or something so we'd have a Stars Hollow address. Anyway, it's really beautiful. But when Mom showed it to me, I was so upset about the party and Anna and April and I was so sure that we were never going to get married. I broke down in tears right there in the real estate office. Just the enormity of the gift they wanted to give. Not just the house, you know? But what the house meant. They were actually supporting us. Wanting the best for us. And this house...it wasn't their taste. It was _our_ taste. Stables and space for horses for me and a fishing hole for you. That means they actually listened and considered us. It was just all so overwhelming and I lost it. I told her that it wasn't going to happen. Me and you and the wedding. It just felt like everything was falling apart."

Luke walked around to the front of the couch and knelt down in front of Lorelai, taking her hands in his.

"I will never stop apologizing for making you feel that way. This has been such a crazy year. I can't believe everything that's happened. But I promise you, Lorelai, for the rest of my life I will work to make sure you never feel like you've felt the last few months. I'm just so sorry!"

Lorelai leaned down and kissed him softly.

"I know you are. And I'm sorry, too. But Rory's right," she said, looking over at her daughter who was smiling, but had tears in her eyes. "We need to talk to my parents. Let them know what happened and why they don't need to be concerned now."

Luke nodded and Lorelai picked up the phone and dialed her parents' house. Emily answered after 2 rings.

"Hi, mom," Lorelai said brightly once her mom answered.

"Lorelai! Why, I didn't expect to hear from you tonight! We talked to Rory and figured you'd be pretty busy getting ready for tomorrow."

"I...well...we…" Lorelai stammered. She was completely shocked. Her mom didn't sound disappointed or concerned in any way.

Emily could hear her daughter's surprise.

"I just had a feeling you two would figure it all out," Emily said. "I know things between you haven't been great lately, but I know you better than you like to think I do, Lorelai, and I know you love that man. And it's been pretty clear for years that he loves you, too. There was no way you two weren't going to make it down the aisle. Thank you for making sure we knew so we could be there."

"Thank you, mom. I'm so glad you'll be there." Lorelai told her.

"I am too. And Lorelai? The house is still available. Talk to Luke. If you two want it, we can make it happen."

Lorelai was fighting her emotions again. With tears threatening she smiled, amazed and touched at her mother's support.

"We'll talk tomorrow." She told her mom.

"See you in the morning, Lorelai. Get some sleep."

Lorelai hung up the phone and looked slowly at Rory and then at Luke, holding his gaze for awhile before she spoke.

"She uhh...they...they're happy. And excited for us. They can't wait to be there." Lorelai said, still completely shocked.

"The world is officially coming to an end." she said playfully.

Luke smiled at her, "That's great!" he said. "I know you guys have a rough relationship, but I feel like deep down they just want you to be happy.

Lorelai was a bit lost in her own thoughts.

"They still want to buy us the house, Luke."

Luke's eyes shot directly to hers. He didn't know what to say.

"Do you want to look at it? Or just tell them we really appreciate the offer, but no thank you?"

"Well what do you want?" Luke asked her.

"What I want is for us to make this decision together, Luke. I know you want me to be happy, and I love you for that, but this has to do with both of us. We've spent too much time making decisions without factoring in the other person. We can't do that anymore. We're about to be married. We need to make sure whatever we do, it's because we both want it."

Luke nodded. "You're right. You're absolutely right. We'll discuss it." he said.

Lorelai smiled at him and kissed him again lightly.

"Thank you, Luke." she said softly.

Rory cleared her throat.

"Okay, you two are making me sick. I'm going to go hide in my room for awhile and let you guys do...well...your 'taxes'." she said playfully.

Luke and Lorelai chuckled as Rory kissed her mom on the cheek and walked off to her room. A few seconds later they heard her turn her music up to concert level decibels.

"Guess she knows what's on our minds, huh?" Lorelai said.

Luke smiled and stood up, offering Lorelai his hand. She took it willingly and saw his eyes darkening as she smiled at him.

She followed him up the stairs and into their room. They closed the door behind them and Luke stepped close to her and ran his hands from her shoulders down her arms. A shiver ran up Lorelai's spine and she shook her head, still after all this time unable to fully believe how strongly her body always reacted to Luke's touch. Luke looked at her questioningly.

"What are you shaking your head for, crazy lady?" he asked her.

Lorelai took a deep breath, trying to get a grip and smiled at him.

"It's just...the things you do to me, Luke."

With that, Luke pressed Lorelai against the bedroom door with his entire body and kissed her deeply. Lorelai moaned into his kiss and Luke licked her lower lip, hoping to gain access to her warm mouth. Lorelai opened willingly and the second Luke's tongue touched her own she felt a jolt of electricity course through her body.

Trying to prolong the moment, Luke pulled back and stared at his fiance. He pushed her hair off her face and tucked it behind her left ear. Her eyes were a deep ocean blue, darkened with desire. He kissed her on the forehead and took her by the hand, slowly leading her over to the bed.

"Luke!" Lorelai said, feigning shock. "You're being a bit presumptuous, don't you think?"

Luke shook his head, used to her chiding.

Lorelai sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for the buttons on his flannel shirt. She unbuttoned them quickly and then moved her hands to his belt as he removed his flannel and the t-shirt he wore underneath it. He toed his shoes off as Lorelai worked on his belt buckle and the button on his jeans.

Luke groaned as if he was being tortured watching Lorelai pull down the zipper of his jeans as slowly as she possibly could. His erection grew as he saw her grin and look into his eyes.

"Are you trying to kill me, Gilmore?" he asked her.

Lorelai giggled and pushed Luke's jeans and boxers down, releasing his hardness from the confines of the fabric. She licked her lips absentmindedly, making Luke groan even more. She reached out and took a firm hold of his shaft and stroked it a few times, making Luke shudder and inhale swiftly. Nothing propelled her more than knowing she was making that man feel good.

Still sitting on the side of the bed, Lorelai leaned forward and slowly licked his entire length. Luke's breath hitched in his throat which only made her more eager to please him.

She took him into her mouth and began sucking gently, then quickly picked up the pace, encouraged by his deep moans. She set herself into a rhythm with her mouth and hand - stroking and sucking, giving special attention to that ultra-sensitive spot on the underside of his cock with an occasional flick of her tongue. Luke had been absentmindedly rubbing Lorelai's shoulders during her full work-up, but very quickly he moved them to her head, signaling her to stop.

Lorelai reluctantly pulled away.

"Trouble, dear?" she asked him, amused. "I just got started!"

"If you keep doing that, this is going to end much more quickly than either of us want it to," Luke told her. "Not to mention, you have a _lot_ of clothes on."

Lorelai chuckled and raised her arms over her head. Luke reached down and swiftly pulled her shirt off. She kicked off her shoes and scooted herself backward on the bed.

Luke stopped and watched as she put her hands behind her head and leaned back seductively against the pillows. His eyes welled up with tears and Lorelai sat up abruptly as a couple strays tumbled down his stubbly cheeks.

"Luke! What's wrong?" she asked him. She had never seen Luke cry. He'd been close a time or two, but this was uncharted territory and it frightened her.

Luke blinked and another tear fell. He cleared his throat and shook his head.

"I just...I can't believe we're here. I can't believe you're going to be my wife tomorrow."

Lorelai flashed him her signature smile. The one that made her eyes sparkle and could light up an entire room. She was feeling just as emotional as he apparently was, but she knew she'd never make it to tomorrow if she gave into it all now.

"There's nowhere else I would rather be right now, Luke. I love you and I can't wait to be your wife. But right now, I really want you to do dirty dirty things to me."

Luke grinned and climbed onto the bed and covered Lorelai's body with his. She gently wiped the tears from his face and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her deeply and reached between them to undo her jeans. They worked together to wiggle them off of her and Luke tossed them all the way across the room as Lorelai giggled.

They made love slowly, taking care to please each other as fully as possible. They were a tangle of limbs and sweat covered brows as they hit their climax together, voicing a mutual declaration of their love for one another.  
_

A short while later, more satiated, Luke and Lorelai were snuggled together in bed, both still basking in their post-coital glow. Lorelai played with Luke's hand the same way she did after their first date. She stared at his long fingers, fully aware of what they were capable of...dirty and otherwise. She couldn't believe how far they'd come since then. Breakups and reconciliations. Fights and making up. Fun dates. (And bad dates where the Bop-It was involved). Luke putting up with all the crazy stuff she came up with. She really couldn't wait to be married to this man. To be supported by those long fingers and strong hands every day of the rest of her life...

"So what are you going to wear?" Luke's voice shook Lorelai from her thoughts.

"What? Wear? Why are you trying to get me dressed? A little bit ago you told me I was wearing too much." Lorelai responded.

Luke snorted. "For the wedding, crazy lady."

"Oh! Well...I have my dress. But…." Lorelai trailed off.

"It doesn't feel right." Luke said knowingly.

"It hasn't really felt right since I got it home. It's beautiful and I love it, but…"

"If it's not right, it's not right." Luke interjected.

"After seeing the square so perfectly decorated...I just think something else would be more appropriate."

A light bulb went off in Lorelai's head as she remembered a recent impulse purchase.

"In fact….I think I have the perfect thing!" she said. "But this time you're not seeing it beforehand!" she added.

Luke pulled her close and kissed her softly. "Whatever you say, Lorelai."

"Oooo I like that…" Lorelai muttered.

"So…" Luke began.

"Soooo…?" Lorelai responded.

"About the house…."

Lorelai shifted a little bit so she could look at him more easily.

"Tell me your thoughts," she said to him.

Luke lay still for a moment, pondering.

"Well, I think I'd like to see it" he said finally.

"Really?" Lorelai said, shocked.

"Yes, really. Why? Do you not want me to see it?"

"That's not it at all. I think you should see it. I'm just surprised that you want to see it given your history, and our history, with the Gilmores. I figured you'd want to tell them to beat it."

"Lorelai I know you love this house, and so do I. If we ultimately decide that the house your parents found isn't for us, I will be thrilled to live the rest of my life here with you. But if we fall in love with it…."

Lorelai blinked back tears. Luke had always respected her attachment to her house. Not only was it her first home - the home that she worked her ass off to buy so she could give her daughter the life she never had and always wanted - it was the only home where she'd ever felt "good enough". But things were changing. Her life was changing. Rory's life was changing. It might be nice to at least be open to new ideas and possibilities.

"Then we'll go see it," she said. "But no matter what, your hot ass is moving in here tomorrow….right?"

"You bet." he told her, smiling.

Lorelai snuggled back into him, resting her head on his chest.

"I love you, Luke." she said softly before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep more quickly than she had in months.  
_

 _ **I promise these two will finally make it down the aisle in Chapter 5! Thanks for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5 - Reflecting Light

_**Author's Note:  
**_ ** _Life got in the way and I got really stuck on the end of this chapter, but here it is FINALLY!  
_** _ ***There are a lot of memories in this chapter. Any and all recognizable dialogue is not owned by me!***_

* * *

Lorelai was awoken hours later to the sound of very loud and insistent rapping on the front door. She bolted upright in bed and saw Luke sleeping next to her, soundly. A glance at her alarm clock told her it was 2:00am.

"Who the hell is at the door at this hour?" she thought to herself.

She grabbed her robe and ran downstairs, taking a large umbrella with her, just in case she needed it to defend herself.

She opened the door slowly, eyes only partially open, while raising the umbrella high above her head. There on the front porch was Christopher.

"What in the hell are you doing here, Chris! It's 2 in the damn morning! Are you insane?" Lorelai whisper-shouted at him.

"I needed to see you, Lor. I hated the way we left things."

"What are you talking about, 'the way we left things'?" she asked him. "I was painfully hungover after a night of a lot of tequila and, thankfully, lost memories, and you sent me home telling me to fix things with Luke. Which, by the way, I did. So we're done here. You can go."

"I just...I love you, Lor. I always have. Can't we try this again?"

"Christopher. I swear to God. You need to leave this instant. Didn't you hear me? I somehow managed to fix things with Luke. I never imagined it would be possible, but we worked through it. Last night meant absolutely nothing to me and you're an ass for using my vulnerability to weasel your way in. I don't love you. I never have. I love Luke!"

"But Lorelai…."

"You need to leave, Christopher. I love Luke!"

"Lorelai…."

"NO! I love Luke!"

"Lorelai!"

* * *

Lorelai opened her eyes to Luke shaking her.

"What in the hell is going on? Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Oh my god, Luke." she said, pulling him down toward her and hugging him close. "I had a terrible dream!"

"...you were saying 'I love Luke'..that's a terrible dream?" Luke asked, cautiously.

"No! I dreamt that Chris came over and was trying to worm his way back in and I was so scared he was going to screw everything up again!"

"It was just a dream, Lorelai."

"I know, but it felt so real."

"I'm here. I'm right here."

"I don't want to lose you, Luke! I can't lose you!" Lorelai said, almost desperately.

"You won't." Luke responded. "I'm not going anywhere. And in less than twelve hours, you will be my wife, and I can't wait."

At that, Lorelai took a deep, though somewhat ragged breath, fighting tears. She smiled and looked deep into Luke's eyes and saw that old look. The one Sookie told her to look for so many years before.

 _Just look the guy in the eye. It's right there._

Sookie's words came flooding back to her and in that moment, she knew she was safe and always would be. She kissed Luke gently and snuggled up next to him.

"Thank you for loving me, Luke." she said quietly, kissing him on the chest and closing her eyes again.

"Thank you for loving me back" he responded, kissing her head as she quickly fell back to sleep.

* * *

Luke awoke later that morning around 7. Lorelai had rolled onto her other side during the night, but was still pressed up against him. He wrapped his body around hers, stroked her arm and kissed her shoulder gently, hoping to get her to stir.

Lorelai shifted slightly and opened her eyes slowly, making absolutely certain she was really awake. She turned to face Luke and saw his gorgeous blue eyes smiling at her.

"Good morning." she said to him, offering him a smile of her own.

"Same to you, beautiful." he responded, winking at her. "You sleep okay?" he asked.

"Mmmm," she began. "My second dream was _so_ much better than the first one."

"Oh really? Should I ask?" he questioned.

Lorelai giggled.

"Well…let's just say it was a preview of tonight" she said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Luke's eyes widened.

"If you're a good boy, I'll recreate it after we become husband and wife." she told him.

Luke smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"I look forward to it. But it's officially the day of our wedding and it's bad luck for us to see each other on this, the day of our wedding." he said in his best _Godfather_ voice.

Lorelai's eyes brightened excitedly.

"You've been practicing!" she said proudly.

Luke laughed.

"And here I thought you looked so excited at the thought of marrying me in 5 hours." he told her.

"Careful or I'll show you just how excited I really am" Lorelai said, grinning at him suggestively.

Luke cleared his throat.

"I...uh….I'm gonna head over to the diner to get ready." he told her, trying to clear his mind so he didn't jump her.

Lorelai giggled at him, but nodded.

"Next time I see you, we'll be saying 'I do'." she said.

"Can't wait." he replied genuinely.

They kissed goodbye and Lorelai smiled as she watched him walk out of the bedroom. She couldn't believe how lucky she was that she was going to get to spend the rest of her life with this amazing man. The thought of spending the rest of her life with just one person had always terrified her before Luke. But now...despite their challenges and their issues, she knew that they were meant to be. If she was being honest with herself, she'd known from the moment he'd shown her the horoscope that he'd saved so many years ago.

" _...and under 'Scorpio' she'd written 'You will meet an annoying woman today. Give her coffee and she'll go away."_

Lorelai recalled their first official date with startling clarity and smiled to herself. She still had a hard time believing that 1) she would ever lie so blatantly by telling someone she'd go away if she was given coffee. Good coffee is the only sure-fire way to make her keep coming back! And 2) that he'd saved it. For eight years.

Lorelai climbed out of bed and grabbed her cell phone off the dresser. She dialed the diner and waited for someone to answer.

"Hey Caesar!" she said, after Luke's right hand man answered. "Is Luke there yet?"

"Oh hi, Lorelai. No, he's not yet. Do you want me to have him ca….wait a second! Here he is now!" Caesar said to her, then handed off the phone.  
"This is Luke."

"Do you still have the horoscope?" she asked him.

"Lorelai?" he asked.

"What? You've saved other horoscopes?" she said, teasing him.

Luke grinned.

"Sorry, I just didn't expect to hear from you. I think this is against the wedding day rules, too." he told her.

"Whatever." she said. "Do you still have the horoscope?" she urged again.

"Yes." he said simply.

Lorelai hung up the phone without responding and shook her head, smiling to herself again, and returning to the memory.

 _Lorelai. This thing we're doing here. Me. You. I just want you to know I'm in. I am all in._

She remembered Luke asking her if she was scared. She didn't respond, just smiled. But she had been scared. It was the first time in her life she had ever been afraid of a relationship because of what she might do to it. She'd never felt so deeply about another person. This amazing man took care of her. Looked after her daughter. Helped her. Fought with her. Made up with her. And through it all, he stayed. He even supported her through her various breakups. So many memories were flooding back.

 _I hate admitting it because I fancy myself Wonder Woman, but I really want it. The whole package._

She remembered saying those words to Luke in the diner long ago.

 _You'll get it._

 _-How do you know?_

 _I know._

 _- **How** do you know?_

 _Because I know, okay? I know. Now eat your donut._

Lorelai smiled remembering the exchange. He had been so insightful that night...when he really didn't even want to have anything to do with her. They'd been fighting and not speaking for months, but that was the night they'd made up. He knew she'd be hungry and made her take the donut. And he somehow knew that, someday, she would get her "whole package." She wondered if he knew it would be him.

Looking back, she couldn't believe it had taken her so long to see it. Sookie used to tease her about having a thing for Luke. The whole town knew that Luke was into her. Hell, even Emily knew before she did that there was something there!

Lorelai rolled her eyes, but laughed at herself, remembering her mother's words on several occasions.

 _I have seen the way he looks at you. The way you look at him. I'm not a fool!_

 _The moment he calls, you run to his side.  
He's my friend. He needed me. I had to be there._

 _-Yes. I know you did…._

She allowed herself to briefly wonder "what if". What if she had allowed herself to be more perceptive to her feelings and to his a long time ago? What if they had gotten together sooner?

She shook her head to clear away the thoughts. No way. She wasn't ready for Luke until the moment he asked her to dance at Liz and TJ's wedding.

 _Or we could….you know._

 _-We could what?_

 _You wanna dance?_

Lorelai smiled at the memory. She had been so nervous about dancing with him. About getting close. But she took his hand and they waltzed around the square, sharing knowing looks and timid smiles between them. What a beautiful beginning they'd had.

A knock on her bedroom door shook her from her reminiscent thoughts. Rory opened the door slowly and stepped inside, grinning when she saw the huge smile on her Mom's face.

"Boy you look happy." she said to Lorelai.

"I am, kid." she responded.

Rory sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm glad. You know that's all I want for you, right mom?"

"I know, hon. And I love you for that." Lorelai responded.

She looked at her daughter and thought about all of the times Luke had put himself aside to help Rory. To help the both of them. He had been caring for them for years like he was a member of the family and in just a few hours he finally would be.

 _You know I care more about her than I do myself…_

Luke had told her that at a low point in their friendship, but all these years later, as she back then, she took the words to heart.

"You know Luke loves you, right?" she asked Rory.

"I know, Mom. That feeling's mutual. He's always been the most permanent father figure I've ever had. I couldn't be happier for you two!"

Lorelai pulled her daughter into a hug and then cleared her throat.

"So did you finally hear from Logan?" she asked her. "I'm sorry I was so distracted yesterday and we didn't have much time to talk." she said, disappointed in herself.

"Mom, please. You had way more important things going on."

"You're always the most important. You always have been and you always will be." Lorelai told Rory.

"Mom, I'm a big girl now. I'm an adult. I've got this. For once in your life, please think about yourself first. Especially where Luke is concerned."

Lorelai stared at her daughter and shook her head in disbelief.

"You're amazing, kid. You know that?"

Rory shrugged. "Well, I learned from the best." she responded, winking at her mom.

"But since you asked, yes I heard from Logan. Twice. He landed safely at Heathrow and then he called me when he got to the flat that his father had set up for him."

"That's good. Hopefully he settles in quickly." Lorelai said, focusing all of her energy on her daughter in that moment.

"I'm really bummed he can't be here for today." Rory said.

"I know, sweets. But maybe for the first time ever his dad is right and this will be good for him?" Lorelai offered cautiously.

"It will be. He's so smart. Even if he does leave the family business and branch out on his own eventually, this will still be good for him. I love him, but he needs some good old fashioned hard work to kick his butt for a little bit. I just miss him…." Rory trailed off.

"I know you do." Lorelai said, hugging her daughter again.

"Okay, enough of this." Rory said. "We have more important things to discuss…"

"We do?" Lorelai asked honestly.

"Mom. You're getting married in less than four hours!" Rory said.

"Oh. That. That's all handled." Lorelai told her. "I feel completely calm about this...is that weird? I just...I've never felt so right about anything in my life, besides the day I took you and left my parents' house" she admitted.

"I'm glad you're so calm and happy, Mom. But we still have to get ready." Rory said, laughing.

Lorelai nodded and climbed out of bed, walking toward the closet. She stopped and stared at the dress she'd bought months before. The Perfect Dress. She fingered the fabric tenderly as Rory appeared behind her.

"Are you wearing that one?" she asked.

"Nope. Doesn't feel right for today. It sure is beautiful though, isn't it?" Lorelai said.

Rory nodded. "So what are you going to wear?"

"Ah" Lorelai said, a twinkle in her eye.

She turned and pulled a dress from the back of her closet. She'd bought it recently having no idea where she'd wear it or what occasion it would be suitable for, but knew last night during her discussion with Luke that this was exactly right. She looked at it now, her eyes filling with tears, figuring that deep down her subconscious must have known that today was going to happen.

The dress was a perfect Lorelai blue. Knee length and strapless, with a sheer beaded strip along the neckline and the bottom edge of the skirt. The fabric was shimmery, almost iridescent, with a cream colored belt and shrug.

Rory almost gasped.

"Oh my God, Mom! It's...perfect!" she said to Lorelai.

"I know." Lorelai said smiling, still staring at the dress. "I didn't even know why I was buying it when I did, but I guess maybe a part of me did."

Lorelai hung the dress on the closet door.

"Okay kid, I'm going to shower. Go raid your closet and bring me dress options in 30 minutes!"

Rory laughed and went back downstairs, leaving her mother to start getting ready.

As Lorelai started the water for her shower, she thought again about how lucky she was. Never in a million years could she have predicted that her life would end up like this. When she left her parents' house at 17 with a baby and showed up at the Independence Inn desperate for a job and a place to live, she would have never imagined that she'd end up here...owning her own Inn and about to marry the most amazing man she'd ever met. Maybe her "whole package" took its sweet time getting to her, but if she had it to do all over again….

Memories started flooding her head again.

 _Go to hell!_

 _Right back at you!_

Lorelai cringed remembering her first big fight with Luke, long before they were ever a couple. She wished she could take those words back. Then and now. She was thinking of nothing but Rory at the time and still felt badly about how she'd treated Luke. He never held those words against her, but she'd never forget saying them. Okay maybe that part exactly she wouldn't want to do over. But then again...

Rory. Nothing would compare to how he'd supported her and taken care of her when she and Rory weren't talking last summer and fall. He'd whined initially, but accepted Paul Anka into their lives. He'd renovated the house. And then there was October...

 _Hey...You can pull link sausages out of me if you want._

Rory's 21st birthday had been a rough day for her in general. Luke knew that, and in the end agreed to her insane Halloween idea because he knew it would make her happy. Up until the last few months, he had always been amazingly perceptive of her thoughts and what she needed and when. That period without Rory last year would have been her rock bottom if Luke hadn't been there for her and with her. And while being apart from her daughter for so long was difficult, looking back she realized it was probably a good primer for what her life was going to be like in the coming year with Rory off in the "real world" though at least now they'd be talking. She was so glad her daughter was with her to share this day. After all they'd been through - all of them - she'd never felt more sure about anything.

* * *

Three hours later, Lorelai was showered, dressed in her new "perfect dress", with her hair in big, bouncy waves and a small wreath of white and pink flowers around her head. It was similar to the one that she had worn when she and Luke had first danced at Liz and TJs wedding a couple years prior and she thought it would be perfect for today. Together, Lorelai and Rory had chosen a simple, but classy blush colored dress for Rory to wear.

Lorelai and Rory had just put the finishing touches on their hair when the doorbell rang. Lorelai called to whomever it was to just come on in, and Emily and Richard appeared in the foyer.

"Seriously, Lorelai" Emily began. "One of these days, you're just going to tell some crazy person to come into your home and god knows what will happen to you!"

"I just did, Mom. Now relax." Lorelai joked.

Rory chuckled and Emily rolled her eyes at her daughter's chiding, but she was grinning also.

"Wow!" Emily said, finally looking at Lorelai. "You look beautiful!"

"I concur!" Richard added. "Perfect for a late Spring wedding!"

Lorelai was tearing up. "Wow, guys. Thank you!"

She looked at Rory, "Hey kid! Thanks for the reminder to wear the waterproof mascara today!" she told her while dabbing under her eyes with her ring finger.

Rory smiled at her mom and took Emily into the kitchen to show her the bouquet she'd picked up from the flower shop that morning. Lorelai started to follow behind and then she saw her dad, once again inspecting the fireplace, as was his habit whenever he visited. She smiled to herself and walked up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey dad?" she began, and Richard stood up and looked at her. "I know this isn't the wedding you had in your mind all those years ago, and I know I'm not that young anymore, and I know I've been out of your house for a very long time...but…" She was getting choked up and she could tell that Richard could sense what was coming because his blue eyes were swimming with tears.

She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Would you...walk me down the aisle?"

Richard's eyes got very wide and he blinked back tears. "Why yes, Lorelai. I would like that very much. Thank you for asking me."

Lorelai smiled. Ever the professional, her father. She reached out and took his hand and for a moment they just looked at each other. She and Richard didn't often see eye to eye, but she respected him greatly. And it seemed over the years that he'd come to respect her also.

She recalled helping him move into his new office when he'd opened his own insurance firm a few years back. Shopping with him for office supplies was a rare glimpse into a Richard who can let loose and really have some fun. And then helping him set everything up and act as his secretary, apparently so well that he had forgotten she had another job and didn't want to let her go.

Lorelai felt Richard squeeze her hand, pulling her back to the present, and she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Daddy." she said softly, just as Rory and Emily came back into the room.

"I think it's time we head out" Rory announced.

Lorelai dabbed her eyes again and nodded. They gathered up purses, flowers, emergency hair spray, and some tissues, then headed out the door.

* * *

Luke was anxiously pacing back and forth in his old apartment. He hoped Lorelai would like the suit he was wearing. She should since she'd bought it for him on one of her mall adventures. He'd chosen a blue tie, hoping that would be right. If anything, it matched Lorelai's eyes.

Just then, Jess came barreling through the door of the apartment, stopping Luke in his tracks.

"Jess! What are you doing here?" Luke asked, shocked to see his nephew.

"Rory called me. She figured I'd want to be here and that you'd be too wrapped up in everything to think about calling anyone." Jess said, shrugging.

"Damn, Rory thinks of everything." Luke said, to nobody in particular.

Realizing he was just standing there a bit dumbfounded, Luke stepped forward and gave his nephew a hug.

"I'm glad you're here." he told him.

"Me too," Jess began. "Now then, is that what you're wearing?" he kidded.

* * *

Miss Patty let Lorelai use her dance studio as her waiting area before the wedding. Despite the fact that this was supposed to be an elopement, the whole town seemed to want to be there to see Luke "table for one" Danes and Lorelai "I'm sorry, can I get an industrial forklift for my emotional baggage?" Gilmore finally tie the knot. It seemed everyone in town had gathered in the square, just milling about, waiting for the festivities. Kirk had come by Miss Patty's to lead Emily to her seat, so that just left Lorelai, Rory, and Richard waiting. Richard had been walking around the dance studio looking at all the photos of Miss Patty from the various stages of her career. Both literal and figurative stages. Lorelai and Rory were reminiscing about all the times Luke had come to their rescue before he and Lorelai finally realized they were meant to be together.

"Did I ever tell you that he offered to loan me the money to fix the house when we had the termites?" Lorelai asked Rory.

"What?! He did?" Rory exclaimed. "Wow. No, you never told me. Of course I figured you were still mad at me for telling Grandma about the whole situation." she added.

"I am." Lorelai said, matter-of-factly. "The therapy bills will be addressed to you."

Rory laughed. "What about all of your birthdays when he fixed everything around the house that needed to be fixed? What would we have done without him?"

Lorelai didn't know. She was so grateful for everything he'd done. With Rory. With the house. With the inn. With her.

"How about that coffee cake he made you for your sixteenth birthday?" Lorelai added.

"And letting Taylor lease the space for the Soda Shoppe just because we said we liked ice cream!" Rory said.

"And don't forget the time he closed the diner and dropped everything to drive me to the hospital because Dad was in the hospital."

Lorelai remembered that night like it was yesterday instead of almost 6 years before. She'd told Luke he looked good and he teased her about it.

"I didn't mean to listen in on your conversation." Lorelai heard her Dad's voice and looked up, abandoning her memories. "But did Luke really do all of those things you mentioned?" Richard asked.

"And so many more." Lorelai told him.

"Well," Richard began, "I didn't realize. I'll have to make a point to thank him for looking out for you girls for all these years."

Lorelai winked at her dad just as Kirk appeared at the door.

"Everyone's ready." he told them. "Showtime!"

The girls stood and turned for each other to make sure everything was in place. They grabbed their flowers and allowed Richard to lead them out the door.

Lorelai sent Rory ahead for her to head down the aisle first. While she and Richard walked slowly toward the gazebo, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Wow. This is quite the gathering." he said to her.

"News travels quickly in this little town." she told him. "Even faster when it involves any kind of celebration."

"I'm not sure this is just about a celebration, Lorelai," Richard said. "I think this is a testament to you and to the life you've created here. It...it takes a remarkable person to inspire all of this."

Lorelai's eyes were full of tears. They had stopped walking and Lorelai just stared at her dad for a beat.

"Thanks, Dad." were the only words she could get out.

Richard squeezed her shoulder, then offered her his arm. "Yes well. Shall we?" he asked.

Lorelai grinned and linked her arm through his. "Let's do this thing!" she said.

* * *

Lorelai floated through the next 30 minutes, knowing she wouldn't remember much from the ceremony. She smiled at April and Sookie sitting in the front row of chairs next to Lane and Zach, and at Jess standing up next to Luke. ( _How did Jess know about this?_ ) She remembered Luke's face when he first saw her walking toward him down the aisle. Those blue eyes of his were like pools and she'd never seen him look so...sure.

Kirk got nervous right before the vows and fainted, so Reverend Skinner had to take over the ceremony. That wasn't something she could forget easily. She remembered them both saying "I do" and exchanging rings.

What she knew she would remember forever was the moment Reverend Skinner pronounced them husband and wife and they finally kissed, for the first time, as a married couple. The entire square erupted in applause and she heard Babette's voice as they broke their kiss.

"Now that's how ya kiss a man!" she had said.

Lorelai had laughed and Luke blushed, but winked at her. She had never felt so full of love in her entire life. They clasped hands and walked back down the aisle toward Luke's. She chuckled to herself as she remembered something her mother had said long ago.

" _...being as I'm probably standing in your reception hall"_

"Hey do you remember when your Uncle Louie died and I was helping out in the diner for a few days while you got his affairs in order?" she asked Luke.

"Of course I do! You were a life-saver!"

"My mother knew then."

"Knew what?"

"Me and you. That we were destined to be together." Lorelai told him. "We were in the diner arguing about Sookie's wedding, and she made some comment about how she was probably standing in my reception hall. And now, we're headed to our makeshift reception. In the diner. God I hate it when my mother is right!" Lorelai said, feigning irritation.

Luke laughed. "Never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad she was right." he said.

Lorelai stopped walking and kissed her new husband.

"Me too." she said, and they walked into the diner where Sookie had set up tables of finger foods and the beautiful S'mores wedding cake she'd stayed up all night finishing.

* * *

Luke and Lorelai had thought maybe they'd have a big party with the whole town later on to celebrate their wedding, but since everyone was already around and the square was already decorated, they decided to wing it, much to Taylor's chagrin. As the diner began to fill with friends, loved ones, and townsfolk, they formulated a plan.

Kirk had recovered from his fainting spell and was more than happy to put his DJ skills to use, with a little help from Morey's speakers and equipment. As the boys gathered their equipment, Luke and Lorelai munched on the delicious Lorelai-approved appetizers while Caesar worked away in the kitchen to concoct something a bit more like a meal.

Emily and Richard were sitting at a table with Miss Patty, who was unapologetically flirting with the latter while Emily rolled her eyes and shot Lorelai a look across the diner as if to say _"Good God, Lorelai! Can you make her stop?"_ Lorelai just grinned and winked at her mother, knowing that Miss Patty was more or less harmless. Besides, Richard seemed completely oblivious to her advances.

Rory and Jess stood at the counter talking. They hadn't seen each other since their uncomfortable encounter a few months before and it took all of Rory's courage to call and tell him about the wedding. But she knew it would mean a lot to Luke to have him there. Lorelai watched their interaction from a few feet away. She was impressed with her daughter's ability to put the past behind her where he was concerned and hold a friendly and professional conversation. She wasn't actively eavesdropping, but she heard mention of a few books she recognized and assumed they were sharing reading lists. It was hard for her to see Rory all grown up and truly acting like it for the first time. She was looking forward to her final year in school, and looking ahead to what the future might bring for her. She enjoyed the fact that she could just watch from the sidelines as her biggest cheerleader now that Rory had taken over the brunt of the work on the "Make Rory's Dreams Come True" campaign, as only she could. New and happy chapters were beginning for the Gilmore girls.

Lorelai glanced around the diner and was overcome with emotion at the number of people who wanted to celebrate with them on a moment's notice. Even Taylor was there and had joined Miss Patty in regaling Emily and Richard with stories of the girls from their early days in Stars Hollow. For the first time, Emily didn't feel resentment at the little town that had stolen her daughter from her, but gratitude for how the town had supported her daughter and granddaughter over the years.

Looking out the window into the square, Lorelai noticed Kirk waving at her. She guessed that meant the music was ready and they could bring the party back out to the square. She stood up and moved behind Luke, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Hey everyone!" she shouted over the rumble of voices in the small space. "Looks like the music is ready! Let's go party!"

Everyone filed out of the diner, Luke and Lorelai bringing up the rear. Lorelai looked around at the square and shook her head in disbelief that this was actually real. Kirk and Morey had gathered some tables and chairs from around town and others brought picnic blankets and lawn chairs.

"Look, Luke! It's like our own personal Stars Hollow town festival! I think we should ask Taylor if this can be a regular thing!" Lorelai said to Luke, excitedly.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure he'd love that." Luke replied. "He's been nervous and darty-eyed all day. Can only imagine the number of permits we didn't have for this thing." he laughed.

"Ladies and gentlemen" said Kirk into his microphone when he saw Luke and Lorelai. "I am pleased to announce the new Mr. and Mrs. Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore!"

Lorelai looked at Luke as the entire square burst into applause and cheers.

"Did you put him up to this?" she asked him.

"Well, I may have mentioned something to him when you went to use the bathroom earlier..." Luke admitted.

Just then, Lorelai heard the music begin and stopped in her tracks as the song registered in her brain. She looked up at Luke whose eyes were sparkling and he extended his right hand out to her.

"You wanna dance?" he asked her.

Lorelai cleared her throat and blinked away tears.

"Yeah, okay. Let's dance." she told him.

Luke led them to the middle of the makeshift dance area and held his new wife close. He tried to remember to count the 1-2-3 of the waltz as he led her around the square with those familiar words from years ago emanating across the town.

 _And now that I've worn out  
I've worn out the world  
I'm on my knees in fascination  
Looking to the night  
And the moon's never seen me before  
But I'm reflecting light..._

* * *

 _ **Thank you to those of you who stuck around to read this whole thing. Your reviews and follows kept me going this year and I'm sincerely grateful! These two are near and dear to my heart, and I wanted them to have a really great Wedding day! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm going to mark this as complete for now as my goal was to send them off into the sunset drenched in happiness after all the ugliness. I hope I succeeded!**_


End file.
